XYZ enjoys high enquiries and celebrity visit at MACH

Pic: Guy Martin on the XYZ stand at this year's MACH

It is fair to say that events at home and abroad have had an influence on manufacturers decisions when it comes to purchasing new machinery. That was certainly the thought of Martin Burton, managing director at XYZ Machine Tools going into this years MACH show organised by the MTA and held last month at the NEC, Birmingham.

It turned out that any concerns that these outside influences would affect the interest in XYZ products on display at this biannual show were unfounded, as the inquiry levels grew by 25% over the previous show in 2024.

This was the first MACH exhibition for the new leadership team at the largest seller of CNC machinery in the UK but the task of creating an engaging display and taking on the challenges of organising such a large event were taken in their stride. Although some of the machines on display have become go-to products for many machine shops around the country and interest levels in these machines remains high, there were new products and some surprises on the stand as well.

Mr Burton explained: “I was hoping for ‘busy’, but I have been very surprised by the number of people that have taken the time to visit our stand. Although our interest levels are up on two years ago, what is more important to us is the quality of inquiries we have taken, and we have met and discussed our products with so many new potential customers which is why XYZ attends the show.”

XYZ 400 UMC proves popular
As the stand was located right by one of the main entrances to the halls, the XYZ 400 UMC 4+1/five-axis simultaneous vertical machining centre launched last year was of great interest to many as a way to reduced set-up times and boost efficiencies.

Even TV star and ex-motorcycle racer Guy Martin stopped by to chat to the XYZ team and get a feel for the machine. But it was two other exhibits that grabbed the attention throughout the week. Firstly, a new product launched at the show by XYZ was the i600 laser marker. One of three models now marketed by XYZ in response to customers requiring a part-marking solution, the bench top unit attracted visitors.

Secondly the decision by Mr Burton and the team to have a fully kitted service vehicle on the stand showed potential customers the support provided when purchasing a product from the company also highlighting that XYZ are more than just a machine.

Summing up the week, Mr Burton added: “It certainly felt that there was lots of optimism during the week. Listening to customers talking with our sales team, the future looks bright and that is being reflected in our order intake at the show which at present stands at over £2.5 million. Just as important is what our team now has in the pipeline to bring continued business in over the coming months.”